Always
by FreyReh
Summary: Ronin thinks of his beloved as another couple celebrates their wedding in Moonhaven. He finds the dreams he's been having are more real than not.


Note: For my fellow Epic-fan Lorna-Ka! While writing this I managed to find the whole Epic soundtrack on YT and that helped me a lot! :)

Title: Always

Summary: Ronin thinks of his beloved as another couple celebrates their wedding in Moonhaven. He finds the dreams he's been having are more real than not.

Rated: T  
Pairings: Ronin/Tara, MK/Nod (mentioned)  
Main Characters: Ronin, Tara, Nod  
Dis: I don't own Epic  
Genre: Romance/Angst

.

.

.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Ronin smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he bent down slightly to press a kiss atop of Tara's head. They were drifting quietly on a lily pad on one of the smaller ponds of the forest. The wind ruffled his gray hair and made strands of her dark locks tickle the side of his face. He shifted up onto his elbows to look down at his best friend, his lover, his Tara. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind but he chose to ignore it for now.

"Of course," he said, lifting one arm to trail a hand down her back, his warm palm sliding over the leaf bodice of her dress and the skin it didn't cover. "You shot me with an arrow."

"I wasn't aiming for you," she said, mirthful smile tugging on her lips. "I was aiming for the target. I tried telling Theron that I wasn't made for being a leafman."

"Every time I sat down I thought of you," he said with a teasing smile that had her swatting him on the chest.

"Ronin!" She smiled. "Well good. You thinking about me so much finally got you to pay attention to me. The night you proposed was the best of my life."

"Instead you became queen," he said with a frown. "A week before we were to wed."

"My Ronin," she said, hand coming up to his jaw. "All these years I've never forgotten who you are, my love. Being a queen may have hindered us in making our union but you were always by my side as my guard."

Dark, gray clouds covered the sun and the wind started picking up a little. Tiny waves lapped at the edge of their lily pad and Tara sighed as she rose to her knees before bending down to press her lips to his. He sighed into the kiss, though as the guard this would be frowned upon, he didn't care. His hands went to her hips, fingers pressing into her petal skirt. Suddenly, he felt nothing, and his eyes snapped open to see a translucent Tara, a luminescent glow around her.

"I love you," she whispered, eyes bright with unshed tears and he frowned deeply, sitting up.

"Don't go," he pleaded. "Tara..."

"I'm always with you," she whispered. "Always... With... You..."

Ronin snapped out of his dream, body tense as he looked around the empty room he slept in. Groaning he rubbed his forehead, reeling in his emotions before he trashed his bedroom for the second time that week. These dreams of Tara were getting more vivid and each time he woke up he felt hollow. She haunted him in his waking AND sleeping hours and the upcoming wedding was doing nothing to quell his depression. Had he been faster, quicker… Had he protected her when she was upon his bird, it could have been their wedding day today.

"RONIN!"

Speaking off.

He got off of his bed and was shrugging on a shirt when his door was opened by a very pale Nod. His fellow leafman was pacing and running fingers through his already mussed hair. Bitterness crept into his heart but he squashed it. It had be because of Tara that Nod had met his wife to be, because of her death, and he was having a hard time celebrating this week even though it was a joyous occasion.

Mary Katherine, M.K., had decided to join them in the forest. After a year apart from Nod they had both pleaded for M.K. to be shrunk again. The young queen had been confused until she saw the love shining in the couple's eyes. She had warned M.K. that the change would be permanent and that there was no going back and she had agreed without hesitation.

M.K. had introduced them to numerous things. Including coffee. He wasn't so sure he'd forgive her for that one. Nowadays he couldn't function properly without the stuff but she had insisted that if she were to stay here and train in the early hours to become a leafwoman, that she would need it.

Thanks M.K.

"What is it?" he finally asked.

"I'm freaking out!" shouted Nod, pacing more. "Today. It's today! Oh geeze…" A hyperventilating Nod rest his hands on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath. "I'm going to pass out."

"You love her. She loves you. Nothing to worry about."

"Easy enough for you to say, you're not the one getting married!" shouted Nod, straightening to point an accusatory finger in Ronin's direction.

Hurt flashed across Ronin's eyes as he looked down slightly. "I know."

"Ah, man, Ronin. I'm so stupid-I wasn't thinking," said Nod, backtracking.

"It's fine," said Ronin, forcing a smile. "Now. How about we get you ready? I'm sure she's just as nervous as you are but she chose this life to be with you. If this was wrong and not meant to be she'd still be a stomper and you a worthless shell of a man."

"Haha," said Nod sarcastically. He then smiled. "I'm getting married today."

"You are."

"To M.K." He smiled. "Man I love her."

"You do," said Ronin, pulling on a coat. "How about we get you ready?"

.

.

.

Ronin stood in the back of the room, his beverage in his hand as he watched the celebration before him. He stuck to the shadows, not missing a thing as he did his best to steer clear of the guests. The ceremony itself was short and consisted of Nod placing a wreath of flowers on M.K.'s head and she putting a crown of sticks and leaves on his. With a few promises they were wed. M.K. had been confused about there being no rings but they did things a little differently here. Ronin knew that Nod had a trick up his sleeve that would make his woman quite happy, had carved and polished the dual rings himself out of the finest wood and he was waiting until much later to give them to her.

Sighing he finished his beverage. He'd been there long enough. He turned away from the celebration and headed down the dark path to his home. He stilled when a warm breeze smelling of something sweet assaulted his nose. His eyes closed as leaves danced around his form and suddenly he felt HER. His eyes snapped open and there she was, glowing like the sun, wearing the same dress and hairstyle as the day she died.

"Tara," he whispered mournfully.

"I hate seeing you so sad," she said, stepping forward, cupping his cheek. All he felt was warmth.

"You're gone. I have nothing left to smile about."

"I love that smile," she commented, thumb sliding over his bottom lip. "I wish you did it more. Even without me here."

"It's too hard," he said, pushing away from her, pacing. "You're everywhere I go. In my dreams and now here with me awake! I think I'm going mad…"

"You're not crazy," she said with a sigh. "I knew this was a mistake. I… I've been selfish, hanging on to you. I now realize that I've done nothing but hurt you."

"Tara…" His eyes widened in realization. She was there. She was real. In his dreams? She was real there too. "Tara, forget I said anything, please… Stay with me."

"My Ronin…" She went to him, curling her arms around him and he smiled in contentment, burying his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. "I'll be waiting for you on the other side. This will be the last you see of me."

"No," he whispered, arms tightening. "No… Please…"

"I love you." He pressed a kiss to her lips. Desperate. Pleading. "Smile more… For me?"

"I…" He saw the resolve in her eyes and he nodded, pressing his forehead to her. "I'll try."

"Watch out for Mary-Katherine and Nod." She smiled. "They remind me of us when we were that age."

"Are you saying I was just as much of a bumbling idiot as he was?" he asked with a smirk.

"Perhaps more," she laughed, cupping his face. His hands curled around her wrists. "Goodbye Ronin."

"Goodbye, Tara, I…" He smiled, truly smiled as his blue eyes met her darker brown. "I love you."

"And I you…"

Then she was gone, her light fading then scattering like a swarm of fireflies. He felt her warmth around him one last time, circling him before dissipating in the air. It wasn't until years from that moment, when he couldn't walk without a cane and was considered a grandfather to three rambunctious children named Tamara for Tara, Trevor for Nod's father, and Isabelle for Mary Katherine's mother: that he saw Tara again.

He'd been sick, having harder times in the winter than usual. He'd been surrounded by the love of his adoptive family when he finally passed. The chilliness of his bones and lungs passed and he was embraced by a familiar light. When he opened his eyes he saw her, as beautiful as the day they first met. She stood in a field of flowers that came to her ankles instead of towering over her and she laughed as he chased after her. When he caught her, he decided to take a page out of Nod's book.

"Put your arms around me," he demanded, blue eyes sparkling.

"Always," she answered, arms going around his waist before pressing her lips to his.

**END**


End file.
